


The Gift Dilemma

by I_was_BOTWP



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 21:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13085928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_was_BOTWP/pseuds/I_was_BOTWP
Summary: Hermione Granger is known for giving the best gifts - she's never been stumped - until she starts dating Draco Malfoy. Draco is used to throwing money around.  That won't work for his new girlfriend's present. He's going to have to swallow his pride and ask for some help.





	The Gift Dilemma

Hermione Granger prided herself on getting all of her friends the perfect holiday presents. It just took a little outside-of-the-box thinking. (She’d never say it out loud, but she considered her gifts the opposite of Molly Weasley knitting a sweater for everyone.) For the past five years, since she’d gone back for a repeat of what should have been her seventh year at Hogwarts, she’d grown a reputation of sorts within her circle.

While most of the presents Ron received from everyone else were centered around the Chudley Cannons, Hermione found him Muggle gadgets.

Three years ago she had bought him a Spider Man waffle iron. He found perverse pleasure in drowning the spiders imprinted on his waffles in copious amounts of syrup, then devouring the little bastards.

Two years ago it had been a vintage tabletop Ms. Pacman video game. She’d gotten a hand from Dean Thomas in rigging it to accept knuts.

Last year they’d recently broken up, and things had been awkward.

Two months ago, long before this Christmas, she had already picked out an appropriate gift for an ex-boyfriend whom she was once again on friendly terms with.

Harry, surprisingly enough to some, was the recipient of a book each year.  She’d seen the care he took to protect the treasure trove of books entrusted to him in Grimmauld Place’s library.  She’d decided her mission was to find rare books to compliment and grow his collection.

Ginny was absolutely enamored with the Muggle concept of getting a something-of-the-month club subscription.  So far Hermione had done wine (both red and white), artisan meat and cheese selections, and fruit.  The fruit had been Ginny’s least favorite.  Apparently she thought it was too healthy - she wanted something decadent.  Hermione was thinking about trying out cupcakes this time around.

The list could go on, but you get the picture.  Hermione was damn good at picking out presents.  Hers always were opened first because the person (Ron) just couldn’t wait, or last because they (Luna) wanted to savor it.

This reputation came with one problem - expectations.  Expectations among her friends, waiting for Hermione to top the previous year’s present.  Expectations from a new person in her circle.

Hermione was finished with all of her shopping besides one very important person. Her new boyfriend was stumping her. First off, she’d never had the opportunity to purchase a present for this particular wizard before. Secondly, he was fabulously wealthy. He could, and often did, buy for himself anything that struck his fancy. And delayed gratification? Forget it. Overnight shipping was as long as he was willing to wait.

Hermione had quickly dismissed going to Ron for advice.  How awkward would that conversation be? She snickered a bit when she imagined it.  She was happy she and Ron were forging ahead with an amicable relationship again - no need to bring in unnecessary drama.

She had dared to go to Harry, since he was on _sort-of-friendly_ terms with Draco now.  She’d gotten a decent answer, which did not surprise her. After all, he could be observant at times and he wasn’t that different from Draco in the whole scheme of things. He’d suggested an experience rather than a thing. Maybe a day training with a professional Quidditch team?  Or a weekend Curse-Breaker expedition in the Andes?  She would keep those ideas in mind.

Next she’d gone to Greg Goyle, Draco’s best friend.  The man had thought for some time before he said that he and Draco always exchanged expensive liquor. Last year Greg had picked him up some over-the-top array of Russian Ice Vodkas.  They’d had fun alternating shots of it with Firewhisky.  She’d politely thanked Greg for his help.

Ginny owled her soon after, saying Harry had mentioned her dilemma. Ginny proposed knitting hats for the Malfoy house elves.

Finally, Luna had given Hermione an idea that seemed perfect.  She was headed out now to the shop Luna had given her the name to.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was used to giving the people in his life extravagant presents. He didn’t look at price tags, so it was difficult to say how much he spent on anyone, but he knew the best shops not only in England, but in about a dozen other countries as well.

His mother preferred he gift her with flowers or plants for their extensive gardens or their conservatory. He had used an elderly Scottish wizard until recently to help him procure rare plants and set the spells to help them thrive in the variable weather of Wiltshire.  Two years ago the man had passed, and he’d been forced to find a new contact.  Neville Longbottom had been the obvious choice.  He’d swallowed his pride and approached his peer.  Longbottom was beyond adept, and didn’t need the money, so his only price was an ongoing sponsorship of the greenhouses at Hogwarts.

Pansy always wanted jewelry when they were dating.  She’d made it clear as early as age 15 that Goblin-made and expensive were her two prerequisites in anything he bought.  Draco had silently included a third prerequisite of _gaudy_ to that list.

Astoria expected lavish weekend shopping trips that included not only jewelry, but clothing, shoes, handbags, and spa treatments.  At least her taste had been more refined than Pansy’s.

His mates mostly received alcohol, cigars, and high end delicacies. In the end, all of the wizards in his small group of friends (Greg, Theo, Marcus, and Blaise) ended up drinking, smoking, and eating their gifts together, so he usually just bought things he liked anyway.

Now he had the conundrum of shopping for his new Muggleborn girlfriend this year, and he had absolutely no idea what to get her. Books would be cliche. He knew without a doubt she’d find jewelry on the scale Pansy enjoyed gauche.

He’d finally admitted to himself he needed help.

Blaise told him to take her on a trip along the Italian Riviera. Draco informed Blaise that Hermione was not one of the slags his friend often took on those sorts of jaunts. Blaise just shrugged in reply.

Theo had the idea that Hermione may enjoy some art for her flat. He’d been over there a couple of times and noted the nearly bare walls.  Draco didn’t necessarily disagree with the idea. It did nothing for his ego to stare at pictures of her with Weasley and Potter when he spent the night.  He just wasn’t sure what her taste in art really was. Impressionist? Surrealist? Renaissance? Modern?  No, better he wait to take her to a few museums and gauge her reactions before buying anything.

He’d owled Ginny to ask if she had any ideas.  Her return letter suggested freeing his house elves.

Finally, he’d broken down and gone to see Luna Lovegood.  Which turned out to be a fortuitous decision.  She directed him to a store which sold the perfect gifts.

* * *

Hermione wandered the aisles staring at a plethora of items she was sure Draco would like.  It was going to be difficult to narrow it down.  Luckily she could afford to get him more than one thing.  She just needed to decide upon a couple of _categories_ and pick one from each.

Draco had been staring at a wall of items for quite some time in contemplation.  How did one go about choosing the perfect one? He didn’t want to disappoint his girlfriend.

“Draco?” a familiar voice called out his name in shock.

He whipped his head around, “Hermione?”

“Luna…” they both groaned at the same time. Then they grinned at each other.

“So, I was thinking about that one, but wasn’t sure,” Draco pointed to certain product just to his left.  Hermione blushed, but nodded in agreement.  It wasn’t the color she would have picked, per se, but she did like its _features._

“Can we go over about two aisles? I want to show you something I found interesting,” Hermione proposed after Draco grabbed the package off its hook. Draco was excited to see what else in the store had piqued her interest.

Thirty minutes later, the couple left the sex store Luna had sent them both to, plenty of Christmas gifts for each other in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt number 20: Both Hermione and Draco are searching for the perfect gift for each other. Somehow they both end up in the same store. A sex store.
> 
> This piece is unbeta'ed, so all mistakes are my own.


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